# std::tuple_element

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< cpp‎ | utility

Defined in header `<tuple>` |  |
Defined in header `<array>` |  |
Defined in header `<utility>` |  |
Defined in header `<ranges>` |  | (since C++20)
Defined in header `<complex>` |  | (since C++26)
template< std::size_t I, class T > struct tuple_element; // not defined | (1) | (since C++11)
template< std::size_t I, class T > struct tuple_element< I, const T > { using type = typename std::add_const<typename std::tuple_element<I, T>::type>::type; }; | (2) | (since C++11)
template< std::size_t I, class T > struct tuple_element< I, volatile T > { using type = typename std::add_volatile<typename std::tuple_element<I, T>::type>::type; }; | (3) | (since C++11) (deprecated in C++20)
template< std::size_t I, class T > struct tuple_element< I, const volatile T > { using type = typename std::add_cv<typename std::tuple_element<I, T>::type>::type; }; | (4) | (since C++11) (deprecated in C++20)

Provides compile-time indexed access to the types of the elements of a tuple-like type.

1) The primary template is not defined. An explicit (full) or partial specialization is required to make a type tuple-like.
2-4) Specializations for cv-qualified types simply add corresponding cv-qualifiers by default.

`std::tuple_element` interacts with the core language: it can provide structured binding support in the tuple-like case. | (since C++17)

### Specializations

The standard library provides following specializations for standard library types:

std::tuple_element<std::tuple> (C++11) | obtains the type of the specified element (class template specialization)
std::tuple_element<std::pair> (C++11) | obtains the type of the elements of `pair` (class template specialization)
std::tuple_element<std::array> (C++11) | obtains the type of the elements of `array` (class template specialization)
std::tuple_element<std::ranges::subrange> (C++20) | obtains the type of the iterator or the sentinel of a std::ranges::subrange (class template specialization)
std::tuple_element<std::complex> (C++26) | obtains the underlying real and imaginary number type of a std::complex (class template specialization)

Users may specialize `std::tuple_element` for program-defined types to make them tuple-like.

In normal cases where the `get` functions returns reference members or reference to subobjects, only specializations for cv-unqualified types are needed to be customized.

### Member types

Member type | Definition
type | for a standard specialization, the type of `I`th element of the tuple-like type `T`, where `I` is in `[`​0​`,` std::tuple_size<T>::value`)`

### Helper types

Defined in header `<tuple>` |  |
template< std::size_t I, class T > using tuple_element_t = typename tuple_element<I, T>::type; |  | (since C++14)

### Notes

Feature-test macro | Value | Std | Feature
--- | --- | --- | ---
`__cpp_lib_tuple_element_t` | `201402L` | (C++14) | `std::tuple_element_t`

### Example

Run this code

    #include <array>
    #include <cstddef>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <ranges>
    #include <tuple>
    #include <type_traits>
    #include <utility>

    template<typename T1, typename T2, typename T3>
    struct Triple
    {
        T1 t1;
        T2 t2;
        T3 t3;
    };

    // A specialization of std::tuple_element for program-defined type Triple:
    template<std::size_t I, typename T1, typename T2, typename T3>
        struct std::tuple_element<I, Triple<T1, T2, T3>>
        { static_assert(false, "Invalid index"); };
    template<typename T1, typename T2, typename T3>
        struct std::tuple_element<0, Triple<T1, T2, T3>> { using type = T1; };
    template<typename T1, typename T2, typename T3>
        struct std::tuple_element<1, Triple<T1, T2, T3>> { using type = T2; };
    template<typename T1, typename T2, typename T3>
        struct std::tuple_element<2, Triple<T1, T2, T3>> { using type = T3; };

    template<typename... Args> struct TripleTypes
    {
        static_assert(3 == sizeof...(Args), "Expected exactly 3 type names");
        template<std::size_t N>
        using type = typename std::tuple_element_t<N, Triple<Args...>>;
    };

    int main()
    {
        TripleTypes<char, int, float>::type<1> i{42};
        std::cout << i << '\n';

        using Tri = Triple<int, char, short>; //< Program-defined type
        static_assert(std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<0, Tri>, int> &&
                      std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<1, Tri>, char> &&
                      std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<2, Tri>, short>);

        using Tuple = std::tuple<int, char, short>;
        static_assert(std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<0, Tuple>, int> &&
                      std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<1, Tuple>, char> &&
                      std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<2, Tuple>, short>);

        using Array3 = std::array<int, 3>;
        static_assert(std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<0, Array3>, int> &&
                      std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<1, Array3>, int> &&
                      std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<2, Array3>, int>);

        using Pair = std::pair<Tuple, Tri>;
        static_assert(std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<0, Pair>, Tuple> &&
                      std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<1, Pair>, Tri>);

        using Sub = std::ranges::subrange<int*, int*>;
        static_assert(std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<0, Sub>, int*> &&
                      std::is_same_v<std::tuple_element_t<1, Sub>, int*>);
    }

Output:

    42

### Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR | Applied to | Behavior as published | Correct behavior
--- | --- | --- | ---
LWG 2212 | C++11 | specializations for cv types were not required in some headers, which led to ambiguity | required

### See also

Structured binding (C++17) | binds the specified names to sub-objects or tuple elements of the initializer
tuple_size (C++11) | obtains the number of elements of a tuple-like type (class template)
tuple_cat (C++11) | creates a `tuple` by concatenating any number of tuples (function template)

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